The Legend of Toba Lake

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Toba. He work as a farmer. Sometime, he fishing too in the river. When he finished work, he fishing in the river. Usually,he got many fish in a quick time. But, now he didn't got anything for a long time. Because, he annoyed, he decided to go to home. When, he want to go to home, his hook catch a big fish. He was so happy.

Arriving at home, he put his fish basket beside the fire place. And then, he set fire of the fire place. But, he realized that he forgot to look for some woods for his fire place. Without the woods, of course he couldn’t cook the fish for his dinner. 

After getting some woods, he went back home, but, he was to surprised as the fish basket was empty. The fish was gone, he just found some scales which in the form of gold pieces. Toba was confused. He convinced himself that the gold pieces he hold was the scales of the fish he caught this afternoon. He stepped to his room. But, again he was shocked as he saw a beautiful girl with long hair in his room. The girl sat in toba’s bed. Toba didn’t make any movement. He was so shock and wondered who the girl was. 

Everyday toba was accompanied by the girl. Toba was happy for that. Until one day, he asked the girl to get married. But, the girl gave a requiretmen.  

“I am agree to be your wife, but don’t ever tell my secret, my condition that I was a fish,” said the girl. 

             Toba agreed the girl’s requiretmen. And then they got married. Toba was happy to have such a beautiful wife. They lived happily because they loved each other.

-7 years later-

The mother spoiled the boy too much. No wonder, he became a spoiled child. He didn’t want to help his father to work on farm. He only stayed at home doing nothing. He was a very lazy boy. His named is Samosir. One day the mother asked samosir to bring lunch for his father who worked in a farm. Usually the mother did his job. But, because she was very busy, she didn’t have time to bring the lunch for his husband.

On the way to his father’s farm, he ate the lunch little by little. He felt hungry, too. Because of this, there’s just a little lunch left. Meanwhile, the day was getting hot. Toba decided to rest under the tree. He felt thirsty and hungry. He asked himself why his wife didn’t bring lunch for him. Waiting in a hungry was such a terrible thing for Toba. He got angry that time. Finally he saw somebody in a distance. He hoped the somebody was his wife who brought lunch for him. 

Toba took the lunch quickly as he couldn’t bear his hunger anymore. But, when he saw the lunch box, he was surprised. The lunch was no more left. He felt really upset whit his son. And, suddenly he said something rude that actually was forbidden.

“Your manner is like a little animal. It is because your mother spoiled you. You are so naughty. Well, it is because your mother is a fish. So you are like her. Go away from here” Toba didn’t realize that what he said was so rude. He was forbidden to tell about Samosir’s mother’s origin. 

             Samosir was so sad to hear what his father’s said. He was badly hurt. He cried continuosly. His mother asked why Samosir cried. Samosir said that his father was angry to him. It’s because he ate his father’s lunch. Samosir also told what his father had said to him. 

“Calm down, Samosir. Don’t cry anymore. Now, all you have to do is climb the highest tree and stay there. There will be a huge flood and this valley will be sink and disappear. There will be great disaster here,” the beautiful girl said.

After that, Samosir went away and climbed the highest tree in the village. He stayed there, obeyed his mother’s instruction. He still didn’t know why his mother told him to do this. He just waited what happened next. 

           The beautiful girl was really sad. He thought that Toba didn’t love her anymore. Toba was changed. He broke his promise to her. So, the girl thought there was no use she lived. She decided to do suicide by jumping to a lake. 

Suddenly, the sky was getting dark upon the valley. Not so long after that, the rain poured the earth. It was a huge rain. The thunder and the lightning were so scary. The rain was so heavy and make a huge flood. The valley was like  a sea. Just as the girl said, there was a great disaster in that village. 

             Meanwhile, Toba, who was still in his farm shocked with this disaster. He couldn’t save himself. He was drown by the flood and finally died. And, the spoiled child, Samosir, although he climbed the highest tree, he still couldn’t save himself from this great disaster. He died as his parents. His body was floating. And then became small island which now was called Samosir Island. And, the village was sink and became a huge lake. This lake was named as Toba’s name, that is Lake Toba. 

Lake toba is located in North Sumatra.

Source : http://folktales4u.blogspot.com